Jianghua Fang

Synergistic effects of filler-migration and moisture on the surface structure of polyamide 6 composites under an electric field

Polyamide 6 (PA6) and PA6 composites with 2 wt% of nanofillers (aminopropyl isobutyl POSS (AB-POSS) or polymer grade montmorillonite (PGN)) were synthesized by electric assisted phase inversion at different moistures. The breath figure phenomenon occurred spontaneously although the moisture of the atmosphere just reached 55%, owing to the fast evaporation rate of 2,2,2-trifluoro ethanol under the electric field. The results of X-ray diffraction indicated that the high moisture disturbed the original arrangement of H-bonded planes in the PA6, which affected the crystalline structure of PA6 and the dispersion of PGN. The PGN and AB-POSS had different migration behaviors under the electric field. This migration behavior and the moisture showed synergistic influences on the surface structure of the PA6 composites. Water contact angle measurements showed that the surface of PA6 composites was able to switch from hydrophobic to hydrophilic (i.e., 58.7–125.8°) owing to the synergistic effects of filler-migration and moisture. The proposed formation mechanism of the PA6 composites under the electric was discussed.

Copolymerization of norbornene, styrene, and naleic anhydride catalyzed by Fe(acac)3−Al(i-Bu)3

Copolymerization of norbornene (NB), styrene (ST), and maleic anhydride (MA) catalyzed by Fe(acac)3-Al(i-Bu)3 has been investigated at different conditions and Fe/Al ratios in the catalyst. The copolymer composition has been investigated by using 13C NMR, FTIR, and gel permeation chromatography. Results demonstrate that the Fe(acac)3-Al(i-Bu)3 catalysts are effective for the copolymerization of NB, ST, and MA at mild conditions.

Syntheses, Crystal Structure, and Properties of Cu(II) and Zn(II) Complexes with EDO-TTF-3-py

The syntheses, crystal structures, and electrochemical of the transition metal coordination complexes, Cu(acac)2(EDO-TTF-3-py)2 (2) and Zn(acac)2(EDO-TTF-3-py)2 (3) are reported, where acac = acetylacetonate; EDO-TTF-3-py (L1) = 4,5-ethylenedioxy-3′-(3′-pyridyl)-tetrathiafulvalene). In the complexes 2 and 3, the ligand L1 is coordinated to the metal atom through pyridine nitrogen. The similarly oxidation potentials were observed for the ligand L1 and 2 and 3, indicating the negligible interaction between the ligand and the metal in solution.